Rookie Watch

Ranking

Player, Position (Draft position)

Team

Last Week

1.

Percy Harvin, WR/RB (First, No. 22)He led Vikings receivers in Week 5 with four receptions for 66 yards. He is getting more and more comfortable in the offense every week. The Vikings continue to move him all over the field, and he is proving he is more than a slot receiver by making plays at multiple receiver spots.

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2.

Michael Oher, RT (First, No. 23)He had a solid game in the Ravens' losing effort against the Bengals. Oher is an athletic OT with a good combination of athletic ability, size and strength. Where he continues to impress me, however, is that he becomes more technically sound on a weekly basis.

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3.

Mark Sanchez, QB (First round, No. 5)Sanchez had a very good bounce-back week with an excellent performance on "Monday Night Football." He showed he understands how to get his playmakers involved by immediately finding new target Braylon Edwards. He ran a very good two-minute drill at the end of the first half. He showed solid mental toughness in Week 5 despite the Jets' loss at Miami.

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4.

Aaron Curry, LB (First, No. 4)Over the past few weeks, Curry has started to show why he is the best rookie LB in an excellent rookie class. He led all Seattle defenders with 10 tackles, one QB hit, a sack and a pass defended. Seattle pitched a shutout, and the athletic Curry led the charge making plays sideline to sideline with his excellent speed and range.

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5.

Knowshon Moreno, RB (First, No. 12)With the Broncos banged up at RB, Moreno got a great opportunity this past weekend and made the most of it. He rushed 21 times for 88 tough, hard-earned yards in Denver's win over the Patriots. More importantly, he did a very good job of picking up and understanding where the Patriots' exotic blitz packages were coming from.

NR

6.

Austin Collie, WR (Fourth, No. 27)He had a huge game in Week 5 in Tennessee, hauling in eight receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He now has three TD receptions over the past two weeks. He is an excellent worker and very good route runner. He understands the Colts' system and QB Peyton Manning has a ton of confidence in him right now.

NR

7.

Brian Cushing, OLB (First, No. 15)He registered six tackles against the Cardinals in Week 5. He is getting more aggressive and comfortable in his role every week. We would like to see him take on more of a leadership role on defense, though, where the Texans consistently have players out of position.

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8.

Louis Delmas, S (Second, No. 1)He continues to be a bright spot on the Lions' somewhat beleaguered defense, though they played much better this week in Pittsburgh. Delmas finished the day with six tackles, and on the few occasions when he was matched up with TE Heath Miller, he did a nice job in coverage.

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9.

Sean Smith, CB (Second, No. 29)You have to look past the numbers to realize how well he is playing for Miami this season. He had only two tackles on Monday night, but that is because opposing QBs are not throwing at him. He had a nice pass deflection on a vertical route against the Jets. He is doing a good job of playing his half of the field in coverage.

NR

10.

DeAndre Levy, LB (Third, No. 12)We've had our eyes on this Lions newcomer, and now he moves into the top 10 with a solid performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Levy turned in five tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass deflection. He shows very good instincts and has a nose for the football.